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PAGE 4—THE BULLETIN, June 9, 1962
TAXES AND THE COST OF THINGS
The Backdrop
JOHN C. O'BRIEN
While Americans dislike pay
ing taxes, most of them, as the
politicians have discovered,
seem to favor government
spending.
Many years ago one of Ameri
ca's shrewdest practitioners of
the art of
politics, the
late Alfred E.
Smith, sum
med up the
attitude of the
voters
tow a r d
govern-
ment spend
ing in the re
mark, ‘ ‘Nobody shoots Santa
Claus.”
Americans gripe constantly
about the rising cost of living.
They can tell you almost to the
penny how much more a pair
of shoes costs today than it
did twenty years ago. But, while
they are vaguely aware that the
cost of government has in
creased in the same period, few
of them realize how large a bite
taxes are taking out of their in
comes.
When the politicians talk
about stabilizing the cost of
living by holding down prices,
they are rewarded by plaudits
from the multitude. What the
average American seems not to
realize is that the politicians
conveniently neglect to point out
that no comparable effort is be
ing made at any level to hold
down the cost of government,
•which is just as much a part of
the cost of living as a grocery
bill.
As the cost of living has gone
up, wages have gone up as well.
In the period from 1947 to 1960,
the wages of a production work
er with a wife and two children
doubled. But in the same period
his taxes nearly quadrupled.
In 1947 such a worker’s
money income was $3,031 a
year. By 1960, this had risen
to $5,620. Thus, his money in
come increased about 85 per
cent. But in the same period his
tax liability increased from
$138.32 to $531.60, a jump of
some 284 per cent. His tax
liability increased, not be
cause the rate increased, but
because his wage increases put
him in a higher tax bracket.
One of the reasons why the
average wage earner does not
realize how rapidly his taxes
have been rising is that, save
for taxes on real estate, he
does not pay his taxes directly.
He knows how much the taxes
on his home are because once
a year he gets a bill from the
local taxing authority.
But he does not pay directly
his income tax or most of the
excise taxes, such as those on
automobiles, gasoline and the
like. His income tax is with
held and paid by his employers,
and the excise taxes are
concealed in the price. Few
motorists, for example, know
how much of the price of an auto
mobile represents the federal
tax or how much of the cost
of a gallon of gasoline goes to
the federal and state govern
ments.
Since the adoption of tax with
holding on wages and salaries,
the average worker has ceased
to regard the portion that goes
for taxes as money. He is in
terested only in what he sees -
his take-home pay. When the
cost of living goes up, he knows
how this eats into his available
fund of spending money and he
is quick to denounce avaricious
corporations and retailers. But
he pays slight heed to increases
in the cost of government.
Yet, the cost of government
is the fastest rising item in the
over-all cost of living. Since
1958, for example, wholesale
commodity prices have risen 2
per cent, steel prices 9 per
cent, wholesale industrial
prices 1.4 per cent and con
sumer goods prices 2.1 per
cent. In the same period the
cost of federal, state and local
government has increased 19
per cent.
There are signs, however,
of a taxpayers’ revolt, at least
at the local level of govern
ment. School bond issues are
being voted down with increas
ing frequency. Governors of
many states are in hot water
politically because of rising
state taxes. Home owners in
many communities are pro
testing the sharp rise in real
estate taxes.
Big spending at the federal
level, however, continues, to
win approval from wage
earners. But far-right extre
mists in the political spectrum,
have discovered that their im
practical demand for repeal of
the federal income tax has at
tracted supporters, particu
larly among voters who fear
that big spending is taking the
country down the road to so
cialism.
And, while the Kennedy ad
ministration is advocating many
big spending programs, it is
now suggesting that perhaps the
time has come to revise the
tax system so as to increase
the size of the slice of the wage
earners’ wage pie available for
consumer goods.
Sacred Heart Month
WHAT ABOUT OUR PRESS?
It Seems to Me
BIRTH CONTROL AND CIVIL LAW
Sum and Substance
“CBS Reports” on May 10th
featured a program discussing
the topic of “Birth Control and
the Law.” In producing the
program CBS was aware that
it was attempting to handle a
controversial question aTTd as
one reviewer
said the next
day, “Last
night it sailed
into just a-
b o u t the
roughest wa
ter yet.”
One reason
why the pro
gram ran in
to trouble was that it strayed
from the topic. It tended to
wander off into a discussion of
the morality of birth control
instead of staying with the to
pic of “Birth Control and the
Law” - a radically different
question. For the “Law” here
mentioned was the 'civil Law,
not moral Law.
Father John A. O’Brien of
Notre Dame, one of the parti
cipants, suggested that a group
of Catholic and Protestant ex
perts should get together to
‘Try to iron out the problem.”
This is very much in line with
the excellent recommendation
made by Catholic leaders that
President Kennedy should call
a White House conference of
prominent Catholic, Protestant
and Jewish specialists in pub
lic health, population and re
search.
Such a group could shed a
bright light on the problem but
they would of course act only
as a preparatory commission.
They would send their findings
on to a body of legal experts
for final study. For after all,
the problem is the relation
between birth control and civil
law.
REV. JOHN B. SHEERIN, C.S.P.
The CBS program, it seems
t<p me, only served to confuse
the general public and to stir
up violent religious passions.
From my conversations with
Catholics who viewed the pro
gram, I would say the over
all Catholic reaction was one
of resentment. Commentator
Eric Sevareid did not conceal
nis approval of Planned Parent
hood. So much so that some
Catholics regarded the program
as an extended commercial for
that organization.
The “cast of characters”
seemed rather contrived, to
Catholic eyes. There were the
doctors, crisp, thoughtful and
grave, giving their professional
blessing to the “pill.” There
was Margaret Sanger in film
bits that showed ner now as a
frail, white-haired old lady and
also as she was in her youth,
a Joan of Arc fighting “stupid
laws.” There were haggard
mothers from the ranks of the
poor including Negroes and
Puerto Ricans.
Dr. John Rock, co-developer
of the oral contraceptive pill,
was presented as a Catholic.
His views on the morality of
the oral pill are entirely out of
line with Catholic moral theo
logy.
Father O'Brien had to remind
him of this and also of the
fact that he had only partially
understood Pope p ius XII’s
writings on family limitation.
Yet I suppose many televiewers
regarded this exchange as just
another example of the gulf
between the enlightened laity
and the puritanical clergy.
However, the discussion
should have been nailed down
tight to the announced topic,
“Birth Control and the Law.”
What is needed for such a dis
cussion is not a “cast of cha
racters” but a panel of legal
experts.
The question of the validity
of the Connecticut birth control
laws, for instance is so com
plex that even the Supreme
Court of the United States has
bypassed the issue by refusing
to rule on these laws. For the
Court knows that it must walk
warily and cautiously in adjudg
ing a question that has violent
religious and political over
tones.
A competent legal expert
knows that a civil law that is
not backed by the public is
“bad law” and should not be
supported. But he also knows
that Catholic and Protestant
theologians differ radically in
their views on contraception and
he must take cognizance of re
ligious emotions in the civil
community.
Secondly, the prudent legal
scholar is aware that the whole
question of birth control and
its relation to law is a sensi
tive political question. This CBS
program tried to soft-pedal the
political angle of the question
but it hovers over every dis
cussion of birth control these
days. For in the back of every
one’s mind is the question of
birth control for Asia and South
America.
Eisenhower as President
ruled out birth control as a
governmental activity but there
are many public officials who
insist that our government must
help depopulate foreign coun
tries where the population ex
plosion tends to nullify Ameri
can efforts to raise the standard
of living.
“Birth control and the Law”
is a topic for legal experts.
A “popular” TV discussion of
it opens up a Pandora’s box
of religious and political
passions.
HOUSEWIFE LEADS SIX INTO CHURCH
Sharing Our Treasure
Wouldn’t you like to share
your Faith with some friend
or neighbor? To do this is
most pleasing to God and most
meritorious. You can do this
by telling a person how much
your holy
Faith helps
you, explain
ing some of
its teachings,
loaning him
some Catho
lic 1 i t e r a -
tur, bring
ing him to
Mass with
you and ultimately to a priest
for instruction. These were the
simple methods used by Mrs.
REV. JOHN A. O'BRIEN
John Wangan of Oakland, Cali
fornia, to lead six friends into
the Church.
“When I was keeping company
with John,” related Mrs. Wan
gan, “I told him how much my
religion meant to me and the
many helps it provides to live
a virtuous life. I gave him
some Catholic literature and
took him to Sunday Mass and
other services. Of course, I
explained the highlights of the
Mass so he could follow the
priest at the altar. When he
wanted to know the whole story,
I brought him to Father Vic
tor, O.F.M., at St. Elizabeth's.
‘ ‘Father gave him a thorough
course of instruction and John
soon perceived that, unlike
other Churches, the Catholic
Church was founded by Jesus
Christ Himself. He was receiv
ed into the Church and what
began as a mixed courtship
ended in a Catholic marriage.
God blessed us with four child
ren, and we now have 13 grand
children and one great grand
child.
“One grandson is studying for
the priesthood at Santa Barbara
and one of my sons-in-law is
a convert. We got to know
Mr. and Mrs. A1 Field and
their three children, and were
able to be of some help to
them during the depression. We
(Continued on Page 5)
It is a fearful thing to be
program chairman for a con
vention. Not that I ever was;
but with a newsman’s curiosity
I have observed the fate of those
who have been.
The wretch
who accepts
the appoint
ment is only
slightly un
balanced to
begin with -
just addled
enough to say
yes. But his
brain begins
crumbling as he hunts fran
tically for somebody reckless
enough to agree to take the plat
form and fill the alloted time
with hems and haws, and possi
bly even a thought or two.
As the prospective guest
speakers decline one by one, the
chairman abandons hope of find
ing Somebody. He decides to
make do with Anybody. In the
end, he is willing to settle for
Nobody.
WHICH IS TO SAY that I was
invited to get up in front of
everybody at this spring's Bos
ton doings of the Catholic Press
Association of theU.S. and Can
ada.
My assignment was to babble
on the topic, “What should the
Catholic press be talking about
in editorials and columns of
comment?”
Naturally, my first impulse
was to shame the Devil by blurt
ing out that there are some
people in the Catholic press
who could do the Church and the
world a magnificent service by
just stopping talking about any
thing.
That sort of approach, I said
to myself, would get the pro
ceedings off to a lively start,
and go far toward insuring that
the 1962 convention would go
down in history alongside the
Boston Tea Party.
MORE COWARDLY COUN
SEL, however, prevailed, as is
usual in my case. I am a
certified mouse and no man; and
I could foresee that some dis
reputable character would stand
up during the question period
and inquire whether I had ever
considered trying for canoniza
tion by shutting up myself.
My second thought was to ap
proach my subject deadpan.
Pomposity, is almost impossible
to parry. I could rise with a
face as solemn as an ailing
bloodhound’s, and pontificate
like a superintendent of schools
at a teacher institute.
I could protect myself further
by going at the matter back
ward. I could tick off things
that the Catholic press should
NOT be talking about. A cloud
of negatives might get me a
reputation for profundity. Peo
ple would say, ' Deep fellow,
the Breig.”
I DROPPED that idea in the
end. The list of things the
Catholic press shouldn't be
talking about would be so long
that I would be standing there
still speaking long after every-
JOSEPH BREIG
body had gone home, or
wherever journalists go.
I decided that I must attempt
the positive.
So what should the Catholic
press be talking about?
It should be talking about
everything on which readers
need information, interpreta
tion, guidance and inspiration -
Provided that spiritual and/or
moral considerations are
involved.
NOW DON’T TELL me that
everything involves the spirit
ual and moral. Morally and
spirtually, it makes no
difference whether traffic is di
rected to keep right, or to
keep laft as in England.
The Catholic press should be
helping readers to apply to the
affairs of life and the world
the principles found in the
Faith.
The Catholic press is a reli
gious press. To the extent that
it deviates from its religious
character, it confuses religion
with other things - politics*
civic and military problems,
national securtiy and so on.
THE CATHOLIC PRESS
should comment on moral and
spiritual aspects of politics,
for instance, or statesmanship.
But if it wants to get into
politics or statescraft, it ought
to stop calling itself the Cath
olic press.
If a Catholic journalist thinks
he can do a better job of law
enforcement than the police and
the FBI, or a better job of
politics than the politicians, let
him quit Catholic publishing and
become a politician or a police
man.
If the Catholic press attends
to the job of helping readers
see everything in the light of
spiritual and moral truth, it
has more than enough to do.
If editors and writers will stick
to that task, and do it intel
ligently, I will refrain from
saying that some of us should
stop talking.
PHOTOGRAPH OF MAN
“Our one preoccupation is to be safe. We don't know what
we love, or if we do we don't dare mention it. We are willing
to become anything , to be turned into any sort of worm, by
the will of the majority. We are afraid of standing alone;
above all, we are afraid of having to fight.” - Santayana
* * *
Is man any more wretched today than he has been since the
world began? Graduates this month will ponder this question.
The agony o f living in this world of technology and noise and
the pursuit of emptiness seems too much for me some days.
I would cry out with Isaiah in seeming despair of these times
that call good “evil” and evil “good.” The artist’s role is
to hold up the mirror to our time. What we see in the artist’s
mirror is hardly a flattering picture of man who was created
and redeemed by Christ. These times are trying times. Few
know what truth is. Few care to spend their days searching
for it. The dedicated Christian who truly takes Christ at His
word is looked upon with amazement as if he were a man from
Mars or from the moon. How many of us have the stuff of
heroes and can meet the challenge of this apathetic age?
How many of us can stand up alone and fight and have no fear
of being hated and of being ridiculed or being alone? Not very
many. A wise priest told me today is always, for always there
is a crisis and always the Christian has suffered agonies
when confronted with evil. How could we survive these agonies
which sear the soul if it were not for our faith?
* * *
THE ARTIST and the Catholic journalist, too, in our midst
is prophet of our times. The true artist has insights denied
to most men. What are today's secular artists telling us? Are
they false prophets? Each week while pursuing the news of
book publications, I am sickened anew at the content and style
of novels which seek to tell modern man about himself. One
could weep long and hard over the new Jerusalem. “The artist
always has held up the mirror to his times for those who have
eyes to see and the courage to want to see,” said a Jesuit
writer in an “America” article widely reprinted and entitled
“New Images of Man.” He was commenting on an exhibition of
painting and sculpture at the New York City Museum of Art.
The Jesuit wrote: “The most powerful over-all impression
that struck me was that nowhere here could one find man at
peace, man in harmony with himself, with his fellows or with
the world that is supposed to be at least temporarily his home.
Almost every artist lay him bare, in his own arresting way,
as a creature of taut, often agonizing tension, confused as to
who and what he is, painfully lonely and isolated from his
brothers, the de-personalized victim of his own truimphant
(Continued on Page 5)
DORIS REVERE PETERS
<2
n5wer5
YOUTH
ASKS FOR ADVICE
ON STAGE CAREER
Dear Doris:
My parents aren’t exactly
against my getting a job in the
theater but they are not exact
ly for it either. I am going to
college next year and would like
to know where I can get in
formation on careers in the
theater particularly the names
of some Catholic colleges that
offer courses in dramatics and
speech.
Bill
There is an excellent
monograph called Carrers In
Drama which includes not only
some job descriptions in
theater, radio and television but
also a list and map of all the
Catholic colleges which offer
a major in speech and/or
drama. This is available at
the National Catholic Theater
Conference, Washington, D. C.
Your parents might be in
terested in a quote from the
Foreword written by Father
Keller. “There is no doubt
of the high importance of the
actor’s vocation or of the ne
cessity for encouraging capable
performers. But it is even more
urgent to find men and women
filled with high ideals and abili
ty who will enter the creative
end of the stage, screen and
radio. The actor can put his
personal touch on one role, but
the producer, director and
script writer can give shape
to the entire presentation. The
solidly human experiences they
communicate, or fail to, may
affect thousands or even mil
lions.”
A DRESS FOR A DANCE
Dear Doris:
I have been invited to a for
mal dance the first week in
June. I would like a new dress
but I’m not sure I’ll get it.
If my date asks me what color
I'm wearing what will I say?
I would hate to get a corsage
that didn’t match at all.
Mary Lou
Just tell him you haven't
yet decided which dress you
are wearing. Suggest he call you
the week before the dance. At
that time you might even suggest
the kind of flowers you like.
This is considered proper. But
be sure you give him several
choices in price range so he
can fit your corsage to his bud
get.
PLANS TO ENTER CONVENT
Dear Doris:
I am in the eighth grade
in a Catholic school and I have qj
decided to enter the convent .
next year. Last year I was u:
in the most popular group but
ever since I have decided to' •"
go to the convent none of the ji
girls will accept me socially, r
Why is this? I don’t think I have ni
changed that much.
Kathy
It is up to you, Kathy, to ic
show the girls that you haven't
changed. They may be younger <qt
than you; or not as mature. They o
respect the Sisters and perhaps
consider them apart from them- <qi
selves. So they are a little in rL
awe of your decision to join H -
them.
Maybe there is a slight change jii
on your part. You may be more
serious or more quiet. This '• .
is natural. But you are the same
girl you were last year, or
last week; friendly, intelligent,
interested in others.
Let the girls know this. Make
a special effort to show them
that you are still interested in i
them and what they do. They
will respond to your friendli
ness, naturalness and interest.
TRY TO BE NATURAL
Dear Doris:
I’m an eighth grader. People
say that boys like girls that are
good in sports and have a sense r:i
of humor. I am on the heavy
side and get teased quite a bit
but I have a good sense of -3
humor. I am quite popular and Je
get 90’s in my marks and am
good in sports. I have my faults, c
too. But boys don’t like me.
What’s wrong? Any advice ap- '»
preciated.
Barbara
From what you say Barbara
I’ll bet the boys do like you. c:
But don’t expect them to show m
it; or make a fuss over you.
Boys, particularly in your age
group, show their likes and A
dislikes in funny ways. These
may: seem strange to you, but
they^are quite normal for boys. ,
Because of your concern
aboQt this you may be trying »
too hard to please. Don’t. Con
tinue to be a good student and
keep your sense of humor. In A
addition try to be natural and i
at ease. Boys like girls who n
are, above all, natural.
(Doris Revere Peters an
swers letters through her n3
column, not by mail. Please q
do not ask for a personal re- A
ply. Young readers are invited ;;
to write to her in care of dC|
The Bulletin.) -t?
I QUESTION BOX |
\ l <
(By David Q. Liptak)
Q. Relative to the debate on
federal aid to education: Why
are our bishops embarrassing
the President in the matter of
federal aid to education?
Wouldn’t it be better for them to
quit insisting upon including
Catholic schools in any federal
assistance program rather than
chance jeopardizing the image
of the Church by their unpopular
stand --especially since Presi
dent Kennedy is the first Catho
lic in the White House? Why
not leave well enough alone?
A. That the bishops and
Catholic educators have not
hesitated to take exception to
the President’s ,proposals on
federal aid to education is in
keeping with the best traditions
of the American democratic
process. As Mr. Kennedy him- J
self stated in his March 15 press : :
conference last year: “The
Catholic, Protestant and Jewish
clergy are entitled to take their 9
views. I think it is quite ap
propriate that they should not
change their views merely be
cause of the religion of the oc- iU
cupant of the White House.”
THE CHARGE that the
bishops and Catholic educators
are trying to embarrass the
President betrays ignorance of
how the present situation
evolved. For it was the Chief
Executive himself, and not the
bishops, who created the
present controversy by raising ' 4
the spectre of a federal aid to 1
education program that would
discriminate against those who
(Continued on Page 5)
416 8TH ST., AUGUSTA, GA.
Published fortnightly by the Catholic Laymen’s Association
of Georgia, Inc., with the Approbation of the Most Reverend
Bishop of Savannah; and the Most Reverend Archbishop of
Atlanta. Subscription price $3.00 per year. Subscription in
cluded in membership in Catholic Laymen’s Association.
Second class mail privileges authorized at Monroe, Ga. Send '
notice of change of address to P. O. Box 320, Monroe, Ga.
Rev. Francis J. Donohue Rev. R. Donald Kiernan
Editor Savannah Edition Editor Atlanta Edition
John Markwalter, Managing Editor
Rev. Lawrence Lucree, Rev. John Fitzpatrick
Associate Editors, Savannah Edition
Vol. 43 Saturday, June 9, 1962 lNo. 1
ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
GEORGE GINGELL, Columbus President
MRS. DAN HARRIS, Macon Vice-President
NICK CAMERIO, Macon Secretary
JOHN T. BUCKLEY, Augusta Treasurer
ALVIN M. McAULIFFE, Augusta Auditor
JOHN MARKWALTER, Augusta Executive Secretary *
MISS CECILE FERRY, Augusta Financial Secretary